[Homestead] Spider bite

Jerry B liberty at kaballero.com
Sun Jun 22 10:27:59 EDT 2008


At least in the broad scan of Wikipaedia, Daddy Long Legs are getting a 
bum rap. Under the heading Misconceptions is found:

"An urban legend <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend> claims that 
the harvestman is the most venomous <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom> 
animal in the world, but its fangs are too small to bite a human and 
therefore is not dangerous. (The same myth applies to the cellar spider 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellar_spider>, which is also called a 
daddy longlegs)^[8] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-7> 
. This is untrue on several counts. None of the known species have venom 
glands or fangs, instead having chelicerae 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelicerae>.^[9] 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-8> The size of its 
mouth varies by species, but even those with relatively large jaws 
hardly ever bite humans or other large creatures, even in self-defense. 
The few known cases of actual bites did not involve envenomation, and 
had no lasting effect.^[10]" 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-9>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#Misconception

---------------
someone wrote:
>> Virtually all spiders are venomous.  Daddy-long-legs is one of the  
>> most venomous spiders in the world, but it's mouth is so small it
>> can't bite you.
>>     
>
> THAT's comforting to know - just yesterday our 6 year old excitedly  
> pointed out one in the bathroom.  I said it can't hurt you and is not  
> dangerous.
>
> (I'll handle them MUCH more carefully from now on!)
>
> Roy
>
> Roy Morgan
> k1lky at earthlink.net
> Lovettsville, VA 20180
>
>
>   



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